Portable electronic devices, such as two-way radios and telephones, typically require a portable source of power such as a battery. A battery supply may be conveniently attached to the housing of the electronic device and make electrical contact by way of a conventional connector. To facilitate battery replacement, mechanisms have been devised to enable the user to easily disconnect a spent battery and replace it with a freshly charged battery. Generally, the detachable battery is securely affixed to the electronic device by way of some sort of latching mechanism. Often, the latching mechanism is integrated into a battery housing.
Although their primary function is to retain the battery to the electronic device, battery housing latches are typically required to perform multiple tasks. For example, the latch is used to ensure a snug fit between the battery and the electronic equipment. Furthermore, the latch often carries the burden of providing drop protection for the entire battery assembly. The difficulty associated with latch design optimization is compounded by often competing design requirements. For example, while the latch should be designed to provide a snug fit between the battery assembly and the equipment housing (i.e., preventing disengagement when the product is dropped) the user must be able to engage and disengage the battery housing with minimal effort.
Manufacturers of portable electronic equipment are constantly trying to improve latch designs to meet these aforementioned requirements, often under cost and manufacturing constraints. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,792 describes a removable battery package which incorporates a reliable and efficient button latch assembly which has been incorporated into removable battery packs for portable radios. Still, it would be desirable to have a similar type of latch mechanism which is even more reliable and results in the decreased occurrence of latch related defects during manufacturing.